This was a decent, fast-paced thriller until the third act, when absolutely nothing happened except for a bunch of exposition. There was so much over-explanation during the final scenes that I completely lost the thread and didn't care what the story behind the kidnapping was.

What I liked:
--The first 2/3rds of the book
--Amelie, the main character - she was a bit naive, but resilient and resourceful
--Pacing of the story was good and made me want to keep reading

What I didn't like:
--The last 1/3rd of the book
--Too much "tell" instead of "show"
--The reasons for the kidnapping became muddled and bogged down

This new B.A. Paris novel is gripping right out of the gate. An orphan at a young age, Amelie travels to Paris to start a new life. She ends up working for a woman named Carolyn and soon becomes close friends with Justine and Lina as well.

When a new job offer to work for the famous magazine owner Ned Hawthorpe comes up, Amelie takes it, not knowing that it will put her life and her friends lives on the line.

While this novel started out with a bang, it didn’t continue on that track. Somewhere in the middle, it fell off base and the traction slowed. The storyline was still in tact but could have been kept tighter. The ending was quite loose and I felt it could have been done in a few different forms. 3.5 ⭐️

Okay I completely flew through this book. I loved the alternating chapters between past and present:

The chapters were short and suspenseful. I found myself flying through the pages trying to figure out what happened.

I love this author and her work never ceases to amaze me. She certainly has a way with words.

Unfortunately, I took it down a star because the ending fell flat for me. I was hoping for more after such a strong build up.

This book was so good! I could not turn the pages fast enough and I stayed up way too late so I could finish it. The ending killed me. I was so mad I wanted to throw my book across my bed. Other than the ending, which left me with way too many questions, I enjoyed this one.

I absolutely hated this book. Hated it. I have almost no words to describe how much I hated it!

It was needless. Bring Me Back, The Breakdown, and Behind Closed Doors all surprised me with plot twists I didn’t see coming. They felt formulaic at times but mostly like a fresher take on the typical thriller.

Any surprise I felt when reading The Prisoner was surprise that it was so poorly written. It was almost as if the author didn’t have a plan for the plot when she sat down to write it. I still don’t entirely understand what happened. There were characters mentioned at the end of the book who seemed to play a significant part in the story who had only previously been mentioned briefly towards the beginning of the book.

It was unnecessarily graphic, too.

I rarely give a book one star, but this one earned it.

3.5 stars rounded down

The Prisoner was a fast read for a surface level suspense. It switches between the past and present day and while this kept me turning the pages, I never felt connected to the MC - without spoiling - there are a handful of supporting characters and things happen to them but I just didn’t care because the relationships were formed quickly or without much evidence. It is a good storyline though so maybe it was just me or my reading mood! Also the ending felt abrupt and the relationship again didn’t have much to have been built on. I like this author’s writing style (this is my third book) and will continue to read new stories!! Thank you for the eARC.

I'm happy to announce that this latest title from B.A. Paris is a hit! The Prisoner is action-packed right from the start as Amalie is kidnapped and thrown into a pitch-black room. The reader finds out what happened through a series of flashbacks interspersed between scenes of Amalie trying to escape her prison and trying to figure out who her kidnapper was. I was so eager to figure out why she had been taken!

This was an extremely quick listen, and the story was tense and exciting throughout. Maybe we got a bit too thorough of a description of the room Amalie was kept in, but the plot unraveled brilliantly.

The storyline was a little far fetched and over the top for me. Sorry, this book was a miss for me. Amelie was far too fortunate to keep getting saved by the right people.

This was an odd reading experience for me. The reason being because I was listening to the audiobook, which had huge gaps missing in the plot. It jumped between chapters and I would miss important plot events such as talking about a MC dying which I'd yet to learn about. I didn't clue in until getting to the end and hearing part of the big reveal (which didn't make sense) and then having the book suddenly cut out on a cliffhanger. Luckily I also had an ecopy so was able to go back and read the parts I missed (which made way more sense). However this resulted in a less impactful reading experience. Alrhough the suspense increased as the plot progressed, I'm not really sure how powerful the reveal was at the end because it was spoiled for me. Hence it lost a couple of stars. Can't say I'd recommend the audio version but the ebook was good. Should've just stuck with it instead of going audio.

This book started off with a bang with the MC being kidnapped and held prisoner. There was a part one in which chapters alternated between present day and past events leading up to present day. Then there was a part two that focused only on present day.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and St Martin's Press for an advanced audio and egalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one started out great and I absolutely loved part one. But part two was like hitting the breaks on the highway. By the time I hit the slower part though, I was already committed to knowing how it would end. Despite the change in speed, I still really enjoyed this book. I had both audio and ebook available to me, and preferred the audio as the narrator, Georgia Maguire, was excellent. This is surprisingly my first book by B.A. Paris and I for sure will be picking up more by this author.

A big thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and B.A. Paris for providing me with gifted audio and ebook copies in exchange for my honest review.

Boppin' Poppin' Balloons! 😳😯🤯😳😯

Fluffin' fluffy fluff! Believe me when I say, this is such a drama-filled, jam-packed suspenseful book with thrilling aspects all along the way! Paris never ever let's me down with her novels, and this one was no exception. The ending will leave you mesmerized and shocked with the conclusion! The writing style, the plot, everything Paris touches with her writing is tinted in gold thriller writing! This book will leave you breathless with increased anxiety and heart-rate on par with a galloping donkey! It was absolutely delectable and divine with the weaving of what Paris does best in all her novels. She keeps you hooked, holds you hostage & the thrills and chills are abundant! Beyond twisted, dark & undeniably satisfying novel. While I will admit the ending felt a touch unsatisfying, it still somehow worked. If I took an inhaler, believe me I'd be taking hit after hit, finishing this crazy mind fluffer!

Mყ 𝐒ყɴ𝐨ρѕιѕ: Amelie has always had to fight her way in life. When she arrives in London, she faces more hardship until she runs into Carolyn and things seem to finally turn around. With a plan she has finally set up for her future, she's thrown a curveball when Ned, a handsome young billionaire, offers her a proposition of marriage. But shortly after, it's nothing at all she envisioned and she's found herself having been kidnapped along with Ned. The ironic thing? She feels safer with her abductors than if she was left alone with Ned. So the question is, can Amelie survive yet again with her life once more on the line?

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for this ARC.
Release Date: November 1, 2022

𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭: 4 / 5 Beach Waves! 🌊

This book had me so engaged that I finished it in a day. I was rooting for Amelie the whole time. This book explores heavy themes so be sure to read the content warnings. I was engaged throughout and loved the time switching between past and present. I will be honest and say the ending was a little disappointing to me, and I wanted a little more tied up or a different motive explanation.

The Prisoner mostly held my attention, but I'm ambivalent about the book. This slow burn thriller follows the young and orphaned Amelie Lamont, who arrives in London penniless following the death of her father. Amelie dreams of attending university and becoming a lawyer so she strikes up a deal with billionaire Ned Hawthorpe to become his wife. Of course, Ned Hawthorpe is good for nothing and the two are soon kidnapped...Amelie must find her way out of the situation and determine exactly why the kidnappers are after her and Ned.

The good:
- The set-up for the novel was great! I enjoyed the high concept.
- I liked that the book alternated between the present and the past, which allowed B.A. Paris to build tension in the narrative.
- The book has some entertaining twists! When the book started to sag in the middle, a big twist renewed my interest.

The bad:
- The book has pacing issues! Many of the present passages are redundant as Amelie recounts her days in capture. It also made me feel wildly claustrophobic.
- Amelie is a frustrating narrator and main character! While she's clearly meant to be resilient and empathetic, she also makes some incredibly stupid decisions. She's in her late teens/early twenties in the book, but I still found it hard to believe that she would blindly accept Ned's marriage proposal without much of a second thought. Of course, that plot point is necessary for the entire premise of the book, but I found her decisions irritating.
- The book drags in the middle and then the ending is jarringly abrupt. It wasn't consistent.

<em>The Prisoner</em> was mildly entertaining and I read it quickly, but I don't know that I found it distinctive or enjoyable enough to actively recommend. The prison-like setting also was unsettling after COVID lockdown so that left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. However, B.A. Paris does understand the art of a good twist—and that's what kept me reading.

I have to admit, I wasn't excited about reading this, the premise was not super interesting, BUT I was wrong. It hooks you in from the first page.
Amelie is all alone in London. After her father dies in France, she moves to London for a fresh start. Not knowing anyone, and with very minimal resources, she very quickly ends up living on the street. When a chance encounter leads her to Carolyn, who takes her in and treats her like family, it seems things are finally turning around.
So why is she being held captive? Who is keeping her? And why?
Another great book by BA Paris!

Behind Closed Doors is one of my favorite books - while it's dark the twists made it work for me.

The Prisoner is probably my second favorite of BA Paris' novels. I liked the opening and the plot moved quickly and kept me really engaged. It isn't better than Behind Closed Doors but much better than some of the other novels I've read by them in the past few years. It really kept me guessing.

I did feel that some things were too neat and tidy but overall it was a good read!

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I love all her books. This book was captivating from the beginning until the end. I really enjoyed it. Will keep watching for more of her books.

Hooked. Absolutely locked into this book from the jump. I couldn't stop reading and needed to know what the heck was going on. While I sort of figured out part, I had no clue why or how until the end. BA Paris is fabulous at weaving intricate little webs of detail and this storyline is filled with doozies. It's so unlike anything I've read before, which is tough to do with mysteries & thrillers. I don't want to give anything away, but definitely do yourself a favor and read this one.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, & BA Paris for allowing me to enjoy this one early! So so good! My only complaint is that I didn't want it to end!

B.A. Paris’ books are always hit or miss with me. Some have blown me away and others have been meh. This one for me was a hit. I loved it and the emotional rollercoaster it put me through right from the first page.

The short chapters and alternating timelines made it fly and I stayed up too late trying to finish. I read this one in a day!!!

I did feel like part one was edge of my seat and part two was more slower paced and brought my rating down a star. Although it was nice to have things tied up.

The Prisoner is available November 1, 2022

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

A fast-paced thriller that grips you from the beginning and doesn't let go!

Amelie Lamont heads to London after the death of her father with the dream of one day going to college. Things are difficult until a chance meeting with a woman named Carolyn changes everything. Carolyn offers Amelie a job and a place to live, giving her the stability and security she was lacking in her life. Carolyn then introduces Amelie to Justine and Lina, two women who work for Exclusives, owned by the Hawthorpe family. Eventually, Amelie takes a job working for Ned Hawthorpe at Exclusives as well.

Ned Hawthorpe is a man used to getting what he wants. After he is accused of assaulting an employee, Ned devises a plan to marry Amelie while on a business trip to Vegas, In return, Ned will give Amelie the money to go to college. Amelie agrees but things sour quickly after the wedding. Ned severs Amelie's contact with her friends and she is kept a virtual prisoner in his house. Two weeks later, Ned and Amelie are kidnapped.

The rest of the story will keep you glued to the edge of your seat! Amelie's fear is palpable, and the atmosphere is beyond creepy. Nothing is what it seems. I only wish the ending wasn't quite so abrupt.

It's the perfect book to read this spooky season!

**ARC received with thanks to Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review**

My thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the advance copy of #ThePrisoner by #B.A.Paris. A page-turner from the very first page, B. A. Paris doesn't disappoint! The first half of The Prisoner is told in alternating chapters, before the kidnapping and after -- until the chapters connect, leading to Part Two. In classic B. A. Paris style, there are multiple twists and turns as the reader is left wondering why Amelie was kidnapped with her billionaire husband, Ned. Murders galore, abysmal people, horrible situations, with a quick wrap up at the end -- makes this the perfect beach read.